When the Day Met the Night
by Desperate with Imagination
Summary: A series of IchiRuki drabbles and short fics, multiple genres.
1. Resemblance

_Resemblance_

It seemed to Rukia, that time had stopped as she looked up at the teenage boy. In that moment she forgot about the threat of danger which had bought her to this place, and dismissed the indignity of being kicked to the floor. In that moment her heart twisted painfully and her world was reduced to a single bittersweet thought.

_This boy looks like _him_._


	2. Reckless

**A/N:** This story and the one before it were both inspired by my attempts to justify Rukia's weakness in the first chapter of the manga (compared to her abilities in the Arrancar arc).

**Disclaimer**: Bleach is not mine *sigh*

* * *

_Reckless_

Rukia watched in stunned disbelief. He was challenging a hollow armed with nothing more than determination and the desire to protect his family. The expression of confident arrogance he wore was so familiar she found it hard to breath.

This boy had pulled to surface all the emotions which she had kept buried for so long.

The hollow rushed forward and so did she. Her head screamed that it was nothing more than resemblance, but the thought of having to see those features relaxed in death once again threatened to stop her heart. She barely had time to raise her sword before she felt the hollow's teeth sink into her flesh. The pain that followed was a sweet relief, banishing the torrent of emotions that had consumed her a just a moment before.

"You idiot..." she said weakly as she collapsed to the ground, honestly not knowing whether she was admonishing herself or the boy.


	3. Thought

**A/N:** This drabble was inspired by the events of chapter 14 (I think).

**Disclaimer**: Bleach belongs to Kubo Tite

* * *

_Thought_

Rukia surveyed the wreckage.

Chairs littered the floor and several desks had been pushed up against the wall. Tatsuki was radiating a murderous aura and Inoue had collapsed on a seat by the window, her expression a mixture of embarrassment and confusion. There wasn't a single male in sight.

Rukia sighed. This wasn't exactly what she had intended when she purchased the gikongan.

_Oh well,_ she consoled herself,_ it's the thought that counts._


	4. Reeducation

**A/N:** Inspired by chapter 15 of the manga when Ichigo asks Rukia what kind of novels she's been reading after she tells him that 'locking-lips' is no big deal.

**Disclaimer:** The Bleach manga belongs to Kubo Tite but the following few sentences are mine.

* * *

_Re-education_

_Renaldo pressed Flora's curvaceous body against his bare, tanned, chiselled chest. _

"_Baby," he whispered huskily, slipping his hand beneath her shirt, "let me rock your world." _

_Lowering his head, he locked-lips with the heavenly creature in his arms, determined to show her how wonderful physical intimacy could be._

-

"My, my," said Rukia mildly, pausing only long enough to grab a pocky before she resumed reading, "times have changed."


	5. Beat

**A/N: **This drabble is inspired by the chapter 24 of the manga (the image on page 18 to be exact). No spoilers as such but it won't make much sense unless you have read chapter 136 (That's episodes 9 and 49 for those who prefer the Anime).

**Disclaimer: **Obviously I don't own Bleach.

* * *

_Beat_

As she caught his severely wounded body it seemed, once again, as though time had stopped. The past and the present seemed to merge and she was having difficulty breathing, terrified of the unmoving body she held.

"Ichigo!" She hated the note of panic in her voice.

But then she felt it.

-

The gentle beat of his heart against her own chest.


	6. Naive

**Disclaimer: **Bleach is the property of Kubo Tite

* * *

_Naive_

"Ichigo?"

The boy in question looked up from his homework, preparing himself for the worse.

"What's this?" Said Rukia from her seat on his bed, holding up a small box.

Ichigo looked like he might pass out. Or vomit.

"Where the hell did you get that?" He yelled.

"Oh, Asano-kun gave it to me after class," said Rukia smiling sweetly.

Ichigo made a mental note to inflict severe pain on Keigo the next time he saw him.

"So, what are they?" she repeated.

Ichigo looked at her in horror, the colour of his face alternating between dark crimson and ghostly white.

"I-I have to go the bathroom," he said hurriedly, all but running away from the girl on his bed and the box in her hand.

-

Rukia smirked before hiding the box underneath Ichigo's pillow.

"He is such a moron," said Kon, chuckling as he crawled out from underneath the bed, "does he really think that a woman your age wouldn't know about condoms?".

Rukia smirked, satisfied with her efforts.

"If you thought that was entertaining, just wait until his father finds that box tomorrow morning when he kicks Ichigo out of bed".

They both let out a giggle at the thought.

-

Ichigo was _so_ naive.


	7. Resemblance II

**A/N:** Slight spoiler for the soul society arc. Tried a slightly different style for this one and I have mixed feelings about the result.

**Disclaimer: **This is fanfiction people!! Bleach belongs to Kubo!!!

* * *

_Resemblence II_

Rukia slowly slides back the cupboard door. It's well past midnight, and she knows she should be sleeping. Instead, she makes her way noiselessly across the room to stand beside Ichigo's bed; to watch him while he sleeps. She smiles, noting how his scowl has melted into to something far more peaceful in the pale light of the moon.

The first time she had made this short journey, from the cupboard to the bed, she had done so out of morbid curiosity. Staring at him for hours, cataloguing the similarities between his face and the one it resembled, only to discover that she needed more time. The next night she had crept to his bedside once again, and the night after that as well, until it had become a bizarre kind of ritual.

They both had the same eyebrows, she had realised one night, and their mouths pulled the same way when they smiled or frowned; although Ichigo did far more of the latter than Kaien ever had. Another night, unable to resist the temptation, she had discovered that their hair, while radically different in terms of colour, had the same soft texture. Their noses were similar as well, but Ichigo's was a little rounder at the tip, and his lips were just a little thinner. Kaien's eyelashes had been much thicker, and Ichigo's ears were slightly bigger.

In terms of personality they were united only by their reckless desire to protect. Although this is a lesson she has learnt during the days they spend together and not from her nightly vigils. Whereas Kaien had charmed his way into the hearts of everyone he had meet, Ichigo seemed to repel anyone who tried to approach him. His affection, when he did show it, was not boisterous like her superiors had been, but rough and awkward. Most significantly, Ichigo did not wear his heart on his sleeve as Kaien had done, but kept it buried, revealing it only sporadically to a select few.

Rukia smiles as she looks down at the boy she has learnt to respect and care for and, as she does so, she suspects that she might be in trouble. She has long since identified the myriad of similarities and differences between the man of her past and the boy of her present, but she still makes this journey every night. The familiarity of his features had drawn her at first, the likeness soothing her fractured heart, but something else had prompted her return night after night. The truth, she realises, is that she is beginning to like the differences more than the similarities.

_____________

A few nights later, when Ichigo lies dying on the cold, hard road and her brother attributes her emotional reaction to the the similarity between the boy and her dead superior, she is relieved that no-one can see the truth.

Because, when she looks at Ichigo now, she can no longer see the resemblance.


	8. Prince and Princess

**A/N: **Inspired by the awesome moment in manga chapter 116, and episode 41; when Ichigo and Rukia meet for the first time since her arrest.

**Disclaimer: **Would you actually believe me if I said I owned Bleach? No, of course not, because it belongs to Kubo Tite.

* * *

_Prince and Princess_

_Princess_

If Rukia had been a princess in a fairy tale she would have swooned with relief and joy when she saw Ichigo flying towards her. If she had been a princess she would have smiled sweetly at him when he turned to greet her and tears would have gathered in her eyes when he nobly declared that he was here to save her. Hell a princess might have even thrown herself into his arms or pulled his head down for a passionate kiss.

Rukia, however, was not a Princess. She was a shinigami. A girl who had been dead for nearly a century. So when she saw Ichigo flying towards her she did not swoon, she clenched her fists; and the tears in her eyes were not a product of relief or sentimentality, but of anger at his pigheaded stupidity. She refused to thank him and instead berated him for following her, the weakness from her incarceration in the tower the only thing stopping her from beating some sense into him.

Rukia may have not been a princess, but then again, Ichigo wasn't much of prince.

__________

_Prince_

If Ichigo had been a prince in fairy tale he would have cried out something sweet and heroic when he saw Rukia standing on the bridge below him. If he had been a prince he would have greeted her with a charming smile and a soft hand on her cheek, the pad of his thumb wiping away the tears she shed. Hell a prince may have even swept her up in his arms, bridal style, or leant in for a passionate kiss.

Ichigo, however, was not a prince. He was accidental shinigami. A fifteen year old high school student. So when he saw Rukia standing on the bridge below him he remained silent, and he did not greet her with a charming smile. Instead he ignored her, going to his new friends first. When he did finally acknowledge her, he didn't even make eye contact, smirking slightly at her surprise and arrogantly stating that he was here to save her. He frowned at her angry tears and started an argument when she refused to see sense.

Ichigo may not have been a prince, but then again, Rukia wasn't much of princess.


	9. Naive II

**A/N: **Another humourous fic XD. Set after the Soul Society arc, during the week between Aizen's defection and Ichigo's return the living world.

I also wanted to say a big THANK YOU to everyone who has taken the time to review :D. I really appreciate your support and kind words!!

**Disclaimer: **...Yep you guessed it - Bleach does not belong to me.

* * *

_Naive II_

"I'm not going in there."

"Don't be a dick, for all intents and purposes you're dead. Besides no one here is gonna ask you for any ID."

Ichigo stopped struggling and let Renji push him into the bar.

"Two beers," the red head said to the bartender as they sat down at the counter, "and stop trying to be inconspicuous, you just look like fuckwit. No one cares."

Scowling, Ichigo contemplated the pros and cons of punching his new friend in face. Not only would it probably get him thrown out of the bar, from past experience, he knew it would give him a feeling of satisfaction. Deciding that there were no cons he rolled up the sleeve of his right arm.

"Here, drink up princess."

Ichigo halted mid roll.

"Fuck you asshole," he snapped changing tactics and downing the entire glass in a single draught.

"Congratulations," said Renji, with exaggerated brevity, "you are now a man."

Deciding that keeping track of the contents of his stomach took precedence over burying his fist in _anyone's_ face, Ichigo concentrated on resisting the impulse to vomit.

"Tip for the future; don't drink it all at once. There's a lot of gas in there," said Renji taking a sip of his own beer.

__________

A few hours later and they were both pleasantly inebriated, although Renji had consumed twice as much alcohol as his young friend.

"Isn't Rukia great," he slurred, holding up his glass for a refill.

"Sure is," muttered Ichigo happily.

He had decided to rest his head on the bar, and was now watching the bubbles in his beer rise the surface of the golden liquid. They both sat in silence for a while, enjoying the various wonders of alcohol and the thought of a certain dark haired shinigami. A few minutes later Ichigo sat up straight, almost falling off his stool as he gesticulated in Renji's direction.

"There was somethin' I wanna ask you," he said excitedly.

Renji raised a tattooed eyebrow, trying to look cool and failing miserably.

Ichigo frowned as he struggled to gather his thoughts.

"Tha's right," he grabbed Renji's shoulder, fixing him with a decidedly unfocused stare. "How'd you protect Rukia from, you know, everything?"

Renji knocked Ichigo's hand from his shoulder.

"How d'ya think asshole? With my fists and Zabimaru."

The younger man pouted, an action which he would have never attempted sober.

"Tha's not what I mean," he said, angrily, "I mean how'd you protect her from all that, ya know, _adult_ stuff."

Renji drank deeply from his glass before turning towards Ichigo with an expression of long sufferance.

"You've no idea," he said mournfully, "of what I've had to go through to keep that shit from her."

Ichigo nodded sympathetically as Renji continued.

"Once I literally had to dive over a table to cover her ears."

The younger man looked slightly guilty.

"I've jus' been runnin' away when anythin' comes up."

Renji sighed.

"Well you're a man now and ya gonna have to shoulder the burden of lookin' after her."

They both exchanged a solemn handshake before raising their respective glasses.

__________

Matsumoto, Nanao and Inoue watched the two from their booth, expressions of amusement, disapproval and confusion plastered across each of their faces. Rukia was simply attempting to ignore them.

"Morons," she muttered under her breath, blushing slightly as they toasted to her naivety.

The lieutenant of the tenth division chuckled appreciatively.

"Sweet and innocent, huh? Seems like those boys don't know you at all."


	10. Confession

**A/N: **Inspired by my attempt to justify Rukia's decision to stay in Soul Society. No spoliers that I can see, just a little fluff :D.

**Disclaimer: **For those who didn't know - Bleach is not mine, it belongs to Kubo Tite.

* * *

_Confession_

"Where did your family go?"

"Shopping or bowling or something," said Ichigo absentmindedly from his seat on the lounge.

Rukia walked into the room, a rice ball in one hand and a glass of water in the other, rolling her eyes when she saw that he was reading. Smiling mischievously she sat as close to him as was humanly possible and stared at him while she nibbled on her snack.

"What ya reading?" she asked.

Ichigo's eyebrow gave an involuntary twitch, but otherwise he ignored her.

"Ichigooooooo-"

"I'm not reading," he snapped, closing the book and placing on the table.

"Oh good. So you don't mind if I watch the television."

Ichigo sighed in defeat and passed her the remote.

"You know," she said happily, "being able to roam freely around the house really helps ease the pain of not being able to sleep in my closet anymore."

He snorted then stiffened when he realised how close they were.

"Er, Rukia could you-?"

"You know I really _do_ miss my closet. I don't think I've ever had a good night's sleep anywhere else."

She was staring at the television as she flicked through the channels, but her face was sweetly serious. Ichigo felt a blush rising to his cheeks, worsened by the fact that he could feel the bare skin of her arm against his.

"I-I liked it when you slept there too," he muttered self-consciously, trying to make himself as small as possible to avoid touching her.

Rukia fluttered her eyelashes at him adopting the school-girl persona he hated so much.

"Did Kurosaki-kun miss me?" she said, her voice saccharine.

Annoyed, Ichigo ceased his attempts to shrink and shoved her off the sofa, smirking as she hit the ground.

"Who the hell would miss you?"

Pouting Rukia got up, rubbing her behind gingerly, before flashing him another pretentious smile.

"You can't fool me Ku-ro-sa-ki-kun, you've been sulking ever since you got back. Inoue told me," she said, hands on hips as she stood in front of him.

"Rukia," said Ichigo, "you have to be the most irritating person in existence."

"I doubt that very much," said Rukia pragmatically, "besides the truth is I missed you too."

Ichigo looked at her in surprise, wondering if her cheeks were a little pinker than usual.

"What's this," he said, raising an eyebrow and adopting a look of incredulity, "the great Kuchiki ad-"

Rukia leaned forward and placed a hand over his mouth.

"Just shut up. I'm trying to be nice, moron."

He blinked and a moment later she whipped her hand away, rubbing it ruefully an unmistakable blush rising to match his. An awkward silence settled between them as she sat beside him once again, careful to leave more of a distance between them this time.

"Then why didn't you come back with me?" Ichigo said quietly.

"I wanted to."

"Then why-"

"Because I was weak," she said, "I don't want to be protected by you, I want to help you fight, as an equal. I couldn't do that without the restoration of my power." She turned towards him, her violet gaze sincere, "I stayed behind so I could get stronger. So I wouldn't be a burden."

Ichigo stared back at her, silent as he dealt with the various emotions her words had provoked, habitual frown in place.

"You weren't ever a burden," he said finally, crossing his arms over his chest as leant back against the lounge.

Rukia looked at him eyebrows raised.

"I killed you, slept in your closet, borrowed your sister's clothes and interfered with every part of your life. You had to get up in the middle of the night and stand in front of the bathroom just so I could have a shower."

He shrugged scowl deepening.

"I didn't really mind."

Rukia's look of incredulity softened into a genuine smile.

"Then maybe next time we shouldn't tell your family I'm staying?" She said, returning her attention once again to the images which flashed across the television screen. "That way I can sleep in your closet again."

Ichigo lips twitched slightly as he leaned forward to pick up the discarded remote.

"Sounds good to me."


	11. Kon

**A/N:** Slightly crackish, but with references to an early chapter of the manga when Ichigo and Rukia are attempting to find a body for Kon.

**Disclaimer: **Bleach - it STILL belongs to Kubo Tite

* * *

_Kon_

"I hope you're not planning on putting that in a human," Rukia said sternly.

Ichigo rolled his eyes wondering where the hell she thought he was going to find a human corpse.

"I'm not a moron."

"No, that's right," she said with a mocking smile, "you're a regular ladies man."

"Shut-up!" He snapped, deciding he didn't want to know where she had picked up that phrase.

"We could always put it in dead animal," she said, looking at the small pill in his hand, "although it would have to be pretty fresh."

.

After an hour of sitting by a busy road Ichigo got to his feet and stretched, ready to admit defeat. Beside him Rukia watched as a cat passed by, a contemplative expression on her face.

"Don't even think about it, I'm not killing it. And neither are you," he finished as she opened her mouth.

Ignoring her pout he pulled her to her feet and then froze as he turned toward the fence.

"Hey, Rukia. What if we put it in that?"

She walked over to the pitiful pile of material he was pointing at and crouched down beside it. He joined her and they spent several minutes examining the unidentified object attempting to determine its exact properties.

"It's a...bear?"

"Whatever it is its very dirty, and it smells bad," said Rukia, reaching out a finger to poke the small plushie.

"Some kid must have thrown it away 'cause they didn't want it," Ichigo said, "its kinda sad."

"Just like the mod soul," Rukia said with a small smile "I think you should try it, just as long as you don't mind carrying it home."

Ichigo nodded absentmindedly before taking the pill from his pocket and placing it in the open mouth of the soft toy.

______________

"You're telling it all wrong," muttered Kon grumpily, "you're forgetting the part where nee-san administered the pill with her beautiful lips."

Rukia snorted.

"In your dreams."

"You're making me sound lame," said Kon pointing his blunt paw in Ichigo's general direction.

"Hey, I had to walk home with a fucking plushie," he replied, "and I have to put up with your bullshit on a regular basis. I definitely got the short end of the stick."

Inoue watched the exchange, politely confused, and Ishida wore an expression of contempt as he watched Ichigo wrestle with a stuffed toy only a fifth of his size. Chad, however, seemed to be struggling with some great internal dilemma as he watched Kon fly across the room. Apparently unable to resist, he walked over to the plushie and gently picked it up off the floor. Kon made pathetic little sounds of terror as Chad stared down at him, obviously fearing for his life.

"So-So cute," Chad muttered, hugging the mod soul to his chest.

.

Needless to say, it was a long, long, long time before anyone was willing to let Chad near anything even remotely cute again.


End file.
